Damn Fine AD+UX

I can easily recall the first visual responsible for evoking that morning-after, alcohol-induced, fuzzy, numb-in-the-face feeling.  I was sober, actually, and standing in front of an Ian Shults painting of a woman with skin-tight leopard print pants whose spots were like ions that had vibrated off her legs and were left suspended in the air, still vibrating.  It made me a little queasy. I wanted to vomit — in a good way.

In the short time since I first met him through a friend, and later saw his work — around two and a half years — I’ve had the great pleasure to witness his art morph slightly;  from a literal interpretation of fragmented moments, to an abstraction of those slivers of memories. The work is maturing and undoubtedly coming of age.  He continues exploring similar concepts - snapshots of uninhibited, sometimes booze-soaked moments, wild abandon bordering on a total loss of control.  You know the kind - you wake up the next morning, groggy, cottonmouthed and desperate for water, with vague fragments of memories from the night before, and you wobble toward the toilet wondering “Did… that happen?”

I found another piece at his most recent showing at the Workman Gallery to be my absolute favorite, to date - Strange Fire (2012).  Stark black with a lustrous sheen and a reversed-out image of two women in an intimate embrace.  It intrigued me - I found myself guessing at the nature of their relationship - loving?  That seems obvious, but sexual? Possible. Concern? Perhaps. Deep in serious conversation? Prelude to a kiss? A newfound intrigue?  My heart sank a little when I saw the red dot next to the name plate.  Of course I’m happy he’s selling work, but I wanted that.

Anyway, all this is me waxing anticipation about the work to come, and buying a piece within the next year.  Gorgeous stuff from a very talented man.  

Visit his site: http://ianshults.com 

Buy his work: http://wallyworkmangallery.com